Vapor-liquid contact tray



N0V 14, 1961 H. c. GLlTscl-l ETAL 3,008,553

' VAPOR-LIQUID CONTACT TRAY Filed Jan. 1'7, 1958 lNvENToRs Hans 6. G/sch Rober! W MCC/ain BY MM TTORNEYS gli United States Patent p 3,008,553 l VAPOR-LIQUID CONTACT TRAY Hans C. Glitsc'h and Robert W. McClain, Dallas, Tex.,

a'ssgnors to Fritz'W. Glitsch &`Sons, Inc., Dallas, Tex `a corporation of Delaware 'Filed Jan. 17, 1958, Ser. No. 709,577 lClaim. (.Cl. 1239-36) 'Ihis invention relates to new and useful improvements in vapor-liquid contact trays Vand more particularly to -end joint constructions for tray sections having offset, overlapping edge portions.

One object of the invention is to provide, in .a vaporliquid contact tray having sections or plates supported at their ends with the edge portion of one of the tray sections being offset downwardly to support the vadjacent edge portion of another tray section in substantially parallel, coplanar relationship, an improved joint construction for the ends of the adjacent edge `portions of said tray sections which simplifies Ifabrication of the tray.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved joint construction `for .tray sections, of .the character described, which Lincludes a portion at the :end of -fhe oftsetedgeportions and coplanar with the tra-y sec- Arions for overlying the support at the ends of said sectionsgcthe overlapping edge portions ofthe adjacent section hav-ing an upset portion at its end for overlying the coplanar end portion to facilitate sealing off between the ends of said sections.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved end joint construction, of the character described, which permits supporting of the ends of the tray sections in various angular relations to the end support whereby the joint construction may be employed at the ends of any tray section having an offset edge portion for supporting the edge portion of an adjacent tray section regardless of its location with respect to the tray assembly.

A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described, together with other features of the invention.

The invention -will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

FIG. l is a perspective view of a portion of a liquidvapor contact tray having sections with offset, overlapping edge portions and an end joint construction in accordance with the invention,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the end portion of the tray section having a downwardly offset edge portion,

FIG. 3 is a plan View of the connected tray sections and end joint construction,

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing another position of the end joint construction,

FIG. 5 is a transverse, vertical, sectional View, taken on the line 5 5 of FIG. 3, and

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal, vertical, sectional view, taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 3.

In the drawing, the numerals 10 and 1-'1 designate the deck plates or floor sections of a vapor-liquid contact tray of the type used in refining vessels and supported therein by a substantially annular ring 12. As shown in FIG. 6, the ring is welded or otherwise secured to the wall A of a refining vessel and extends radially inward therefrom. The tray sections 10 and 11, which are substantially flat and formed of relatively light gauge metal, have their end and/or outer margins resting upon the ring 12 and Africtionally fastened thereto by suitable clamps 13 and 14. A gasket or strip of sealing material 15 is interposed between the ring and the margins of the tray sections. The tray sections usually are of greater length than width and have their adjacent marginal or ICC " longitudinal edge 'portions frictionally secured in substantially parallel relationship by suitable fasteners 13. As .is well known, ythe frictional clamping of the Atray sections to the ring `and to each other permits relative movement .of .said sections upon thermal expansion and contraction.

An -offset, horizontal flange or shoulder .16 is formed by downwardly offsetting the adjacent longitudinal edge portion of the tray section 10 .a distance substantially equal to the fthickness of the ysections for .underlying and Supporting 'the adjacent longitudinal edge portion 1.7 of the .tray'sectionll in coplanar relationship. The shoulder 16 has a plurality .of openings 18 for permitting connectioniof the fasteners 13 and is Vof sufllcient width to accommodate 4said clamps and support the overlying .edge portion 17 in unobstructed, spaced relation to the remaining portion .or 'body of its section 10.. A gasket orst-rip 19 of .sealingmaterial is :usually interposed between the shoulder and 'overlying edge portion. For reinforcing and adding :rigidity .to the tray sections so as to eliminate the necessityffor anxiliaryzsupports, a depending leg or flange 20 may be formed by bending the outer margin of the Vshoulder 16 downwardly :at substantially a right angle. Additional rigidity may be obtained by bending the lower extremity of the flange 20` upwardly upon itse'l'f -to provide yafh'orizontal leg oriflange 21 which preferably underlies the shoulder. It is noted that the tray sections are substantially flat throughout their areas with their major portions being coplanar `due to the supporting of the overlying edge portion 17 by the downwardly offset shoulder 16.

In order for the end portions of the tray sections to overlie the ring 12, the offset shoulder and its flanges 20 and 21 are of less length than said sections so as to terminate short of said end portions as shown most clearly in FIG. 2. For sealing the resulting gap or opening between the ends of the adjacent edge portions and the ring, an improved end joint construction 22 has been provided and includes a coplanar extension or portion 23 on the tray section 10 at the end of its adjacent longitudinal edge portion. The end extension 23 is made integral with the offset shoulder 16 and forms a continuation thereof, being connected thereto by an upright, transverse flange 24 which extends from the end of the longitudinal flange 25 formed by bending the edge portion to provide said shoulder. An upset, complementary portion or shoulder 26 is formed on the end of the edge portion 17 for overlying the end extension which rests on the ring 12 and its sealing gasket 15. Due to this arrangement, the sealing strip 19 may be continuous and interposed between the extension 23 and the overlying, upset shoulder 26. As shown by the numeral 27 in FIG. 2, the longitudinal edge portion of the extension is in substantial alinement with the outer margin of the shoulder 16 and its flange 20 whereby there is little space between said extension and the end portion of the section 11 adjacent its upset shoulder. As a result, the extension confines the gasket 1S in sealing position and coacts with the upset shoulder to confine the strip 19 in sealing position.

In order to permit use of the end joint construction 22 -with tray sections having their adjacent longitudinal edge portions in various angular relations to the ring 12, the connecting flange 24 extends outwardly from the offset shoulder 16 at an angle of approximately forty-live (45) degrees or other convenient angle so that said flange clears said ring. The upset shoulder 26 has an overlying, complementary flange 28 which connects said shoulder to the overlying edge portion 17 of the tray section 11. Due to the angular relation of the longitudinal edge portions to the ring shown in FIGS. l and 3, the clamp 14 may be employed to frictionally fasten the extension 23 to the shoulder 26 as Iwell as to said ring. In FIG. 4, the end joint construction is shown applied to tray sections having their adjacent longitudinal margins in reverse angular relation to the ring 12. Since the structure is substantially identical, prime numerals have been used to indicate similar parts. While the connecting anges 24 and 28' extend substantially parallel to the ring in FIG. 4, the connecting anges 24 and 28 extend substantially perpendicular to said ring in FIG. 3. These arrangements represent the approximate extremities of the angular relationship of the end joints to the supporting ring and, in practice, the angular relationship varies in accordance with chordal location of the tray sections relative to the assembled tray. It is noted that in both instances, the outer margin of the offset shoulder 16 or 16 is disposed in close proximity to the ring whereby the coplanar extension 23 or 23 is held to a minimum longitudinal dimension which is determined by the angular relationship of the end joint to said ring.

The foregoing description of the invention is explanatory thereof and various changes in the size, shape and materials, as well as in the details of the illustrated construction may be made, within the scope of the appended claim, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent An end joint construction for a vapor-liquid contact tray having at least a pair of substantially at plates of substantially uniform thickness with their longitudinal edge portions in adjacent substantially parallel relationship and their ends resting on a support, the adjacent edge portion of the rst plate being offset downwardly a distance substantially equal to the thickness of said plate to provide an offset horizontal shoulder, the adjacent substantially flat edge portion of the second plate resting on the oset shoulder in coplanar relation to said rst plate, including a coplanar extension on said rst plate integral with the end of its offset shoulder and resting on the support, an upset horizontal shoulder integral with the end of said adjacent edge portion of said second plate and overlying the coplanar extension of said rst plate, an end ilange connecting said offset shoulder of said first plate to its coplanar extension, and an overlying complementary flange connecting the upset shoulder to the References Cited in the tile ofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,076,382 Maloney Oct. 21,

1,729,946 Kuehn Oct. l,

1,920,490 Tracy Aug. 1,

2,442,676 Booth June 1,

2,611,596 Glitsch Sept. 23, 

